A Frothy Fiasco: A Cozy Mystery (Sweet Home Mystery Series Book 3) by Constance Barker Read Free Book Online Page B

Tastee Freeze with a hundred-dollar bill in her hand. It was really crowded, and somebody snatched it, but nobody saw who did it.”
    “When did that happen, Josie?” I asked. Stealing from children now? This has got to stop.
    “Just now.” It was her brother, Corey, who answered. “Like 5 minutes ago.”
    “Indoor voices, children,” Hildie said sweetly. “Would you like a nice hot cup of coffee?”
    The kids looked at her like she had two heads. They ordered smoothies.
    “Darn,” Hildie whispered to me. “I was hoping they’d want a mocha latte or a cappuccino. I’m getting to like using that loud apparatus.”
    I gave Hildie the side eye as I filled the blender with strawberries, bananas and milk. “They’re only kids. And I’d hate to see how hyper they’d be with caffeine in their little bodies.”
    Hildie looked over at the children. “True. Wish I could harvest some of their energy and pump it into my old veins.”
    “Ha!” I exclaimed. “I wish I had half the energy you and Essie have.”
    “Jack LaLanne my dear. Old Jack LaLanne tapes keep us old girls in shape.”
    “I may have to borrow a few,” I said, pouring the smoothies into cups.
    Trevor looked at me with big eyes of exoneration. He was here with me, so it looks like he will be getting a green line on his picture. And Toe…
    I looked around, and Toe was no longer at his table. I looked out front and his truck was gone too. Oh, crud.

  Chapter Seven
     
     
    It was cool and quiet at the Hog Heaven Brew & BBQ early on that Monday evening. Yes, it’s the home of the roller-skating pig. Well, it’s the logo on their big neon sign out front, anyway. I’m not sure that one sighting at a gas station, which was probably unrelated to the thefts anyway, was worth the trip. But it was a nice getaway for Jules and me. We walked past all the tables and sat at the end of the bar.
    “Good evening, ladies! I’m Schooner. What can I get for you today?”
    The bartender was a young, tan, beach dude with a West Coast surfer slur. His sun-bleached hair was almost shoulder length, and I would have traded my hair for his in a heartbeat if I could. It had a luxurious bounce as he bobbed his head to the music from his one ear bud.
    “One frosty mug of summer lager and a glass of Chardonnay.”
    “The regular 14-ouncer, or the 22-ounce Brew-ha-hog? It’s just a buck more.”
    The name wasn’t particularly ladylike, but I knew the first one would go down fast. “Hit me up with the big one, dude.”
    He smiled and nodded. “All right…yeah.”
    “He looked cuter and older from the door, Lily. We can move to a table if you want to.” Jules looked beautiful in her blue dress and curled  jet-black hair framing her ivory face. But why would she be looking for a guy if she’s dating Tony?
    I had stopped home to shower and change before we made the trip to Sabina. Jules wanted to go as “hot chicks” instead of “working wenches,” so I threw on a red dress and heels. We were both a little over-dressed for Hog Heaven, but it was nice to feel like a girl again.
    “One hog and one wine.” Schooner set down our beverages in front of us on cocktail napkins, which the overflowing foam from my beer soon saturated.
    “Lovely,” I said, somewhat sarcastically.
    “Menus?”
    “Please.”
    Schooner grabbed two menus off the back bar behind him and presented them to us, opened to the dinner section. “The special today is The Three Little Pigs in Blankets . It’s a Polish sausage, Italian sausage, and Andouille sausage, each wrapped in a crepe and topped with blueberry syrup, fresh raspberries, whipped cream, and chocolate chips.”
    I did my best not to gag. “Thank you, Schooner. Give us a few minutes.”
    “Just wave when you’re ready, ladies.” Then he was off to the other end of the bar, his head bouncing all the way, presumably on beat to the music in his ear.
    We began poring over the large menu, and I was going to ask Jules about Tony;